Ordinance or not it seems that the commands of Jesus Christ are very clear!
John 13:13-17
13 Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am.
14 If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.
15 For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you.
16 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.
17 If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.
Incidentally, just who decides whether something is an ordinance or not.
The Lords Supper is only mentioned twice outside the Gospels!
Brothers...its much mo than just washing feet.....its. cleaning up puke, and cleaning up poop and urine and blood ....and giving another your coat and driving someone to the VA psycho ward..... drying a tear soothing a child's fears......yes oh yes....much much mo.
I agree!... But that being said I will leave this discussion to others but post a comment made by PreachTony who started the OP!
I find the foot-washing service to be one of the most humbling, Spirit-filled services of the year. I also find that those who rarely, if ever, partake in it, tend to either marginalize it, or downright mock it... Brother Glen
I have observed foot washing during an Old Regular Baptist Communion service.
I was not eligible to take part but simply watching that service was a wonderful spiritual experience.
But you know people mocked Jesus Christ while HE was on the Cross.
I said I was through and was stepping away but then you insulted my Lord and Master so I felt I needed to set things straight.
Do you think He was a sinner?... He was our substitute!... The iniquity of us all was laid upon him... It pleased the Father to bruise him and by his stripes we are healed... Go to the cross!
Now to the woman... Ask any minister on here and you may be one yourself who does the woman represent in scripture?... Obedient and disobedient children of God!... This illustration is used throughout the scriptures both in the OT and NT.
So who is the woman sinner that is washing his feet with her tears and drying them with the hair of her head?... She represents the church that Jesus Christ purchased with his own blood!... He is the only one that could walk the walk and talk the talk!... And every time I'm am washing my brothers feet I never lose sight of that fact!... "WHO IS WORTHY"... None other than Jesus Christ the righteous that left heaven and came down to this sin cursed earth to die on a cross for a sinner like me!... So you see washing brethren feet is not a menial task of humility for me or of others who partake in this beautiful ceremony... Now you know!... Brother Glen
That's it in a nutshell. I've never felt the Spirit as much as at communion time when the Saints wash each other's feet. It is indeed a very humbling experience.
I've had the governor of KY wash my feet, and I his.